Player piano



Jan. 13, 1931. A, H.V Bor-:TTcHl-:R *15:2788561 PLAYER PIANO Filed Jan.27, 1927 4 Sheng-Sheet 1 @am m @i m;

Jan. 413, 1931. A. H. BOETTCHER 1,788,561

PLAYER PIANO Fil-ed Jan. 27, 1927 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 24a, La nfl/,M

Jan. 13,1931( A. H. BoE'rTcHE 1,788,561

PLAYER PIANO Filed Jan. 2v, 1927 I 4 sheets-sheet s Jan. 13, 1931. A. H.BoET'rcHER I 1,783,551

' PLAYER PIANO Filed Jan. 27, 1927 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 @f Jr 1 69 F ErpeMa? [,do 65 "lof WEYIIYJE SWITCH CNTII'DL SWITCH Patented Jan. `13, 1931UNITED". STATES y'P Arrnv'r OFFICE..l

ARTHUR II.

Bon'r'roHnn, OI" EvANsTON, ILLINOIS, AssIsNOR` To GULBRANsnN COM- rANY,or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS,

A CORPORATION or ILLINOIS PLAYER PIANO Application filed January 27,1927. Serial No. 163,898.

' This` invention relates to player pianos, and more particularly tothat type of player piano in which the action is exhausted by.

manually operated means` as distinguished from the so-called` reproducerplayer piano in Whichthe action exhausting means is power driven. A

In player pianos of the type to Which my inventionis particularlyadapted, the action 1% is exhausted by a power unit operated by pedals.As the roll motor'is connected to this unit and exhausted thereby, thevolume of Vair handled is comparatively great, and of this volume 50%andsometimes more is required for the operation of the roll motor. Byprovidingl suitable means oroperating the music sheet .Winding andrevvinding mechanism Without the employment oi a pneumatically actuatedmotor, the yvolume of air required to` be handled by the actionexhausting means can be reduced-by at least one-half. vThis gives a muchAmore delicate andaccurate controllof the expression by the player andalso renders itmuch easier to Operate the pedals. In view of the factthat the volume of airhandled When the roll motor is eliminated iscomparatively small, any change inthe 'speed or rate of operationV ofthepedals Will produce a relaof the action system With a correspondingvariation in expression.V In vievv' of thisv Jfact it will be obviousthat, by reducing the volume oi air to be handled, I greatly 5increasethe ease of operation of the exhaust, ingvunit, and I also igve verydelicate control of vthe expression. V'Ihislatter feature isOfparticular importance as many persons tively great change inthetension in the air v prefer this type of player piano in vievvof sovthat `all individuality v in This is the` hausting means, and it Willbeobvious that any means Which materiallyincreases the accuracy anddelicacy of control Vof the expression by the player is ot great merit.This is particularly true Where such means lso materially yincreases theease of operation of the exhausting unit. f

In its broader aspects my invention contemplates tho elimination oi theusual pneumatic motor employed 'for operating the spool and the `rollchuck.V I also provide means whereby the speedy of rotation-Of the spooland the rollchuck` can be readily varied Within Wide limits, such meansbeing free of the eiiect of inertia and responding instantaneously toany' adjustment made for variation in speed. An additional feature ,ofmy'invention is the provision of means for preventingoperation of thespool until the proper air tension has been produced in the action toensure'proper operation of the player pneumatic. Further objects andadvantages ivill appear from the detailed descri ption. y

In theldraivings zy Figure l is arfront view'kof a player piano of knownconstruction, With the front boards of the case removed, illustrating myinvention as applied;`

Figure 2 `is a detail view, in elevation, of the twoI driving Wheels andassociated parts;

" Figure Sis af section taken substantiallyT on line 3-3 of Figure 2;

connections between.' the same and the shift Y i lever and the Wheeladjusting yoke, and e I.associated parts,

, Figure 5 is a vparts illustrated in Figure 4;

Figuref 6 is Va d'agrarn of the motor circuit;

yFigure 7 is a plan view ofthe r'e-roll lever diagram, in plan, ot theand associated parts illustrating a modified:

form.;

, Figure 8 isa sectioni taken isubstantially on lineB-S of Figure 7; v ip v Figure 9 is a. section taken substantially on line 9-#9 of Figure 7Y l. F iguremlO :is ariragmentary elevation of l the i'e-roll levershaft and the motor reverse switch and associated parts;

Figure 11 is a fragmentary detail of one of the switch operating camsand its associated switch button;

Figure 12 is a fragmentary View of one end portion of the spool box andassociated parts, showing` the driving` connections between the collarshaft and the spool and the roll chuck in the modified form illustratedin Figures 7 to 11; and

Figure 13 is a diagram of the motor circuit in the form illustrated inFigures 7 to 11. i

The player piano illustrated is of known construction and includes thepneumatic stack 1 with which are associated the player pneumatics (notshown), this stack being exhausted by means of a unit 2, the pumpmembers or bellows 3 of which are operated by pedals 4 in a knownmanner. The unit 2 includes a throat 5 connected by exhaust tube 6 tostack 1. This unit is disposed in the lower portion of the case beneathkeyT bed 7 upon. which are mounted the usual sustaining and melodylevers. A bracket shelf 8 is mounted above stack 1 and supports thespool box 9 in which. are mounted spool 10, roll chucks 11 and 12. andtracker bar 18 in a known manner. The spool 10 and roll chuck 11 havedriving connection with counter shaft 111, this coni'iection beincontrolled by a shift lever 15 in a known manner for rotating the spoolin winding direction, or rotating the roll chuck 11 in rewindingdirection, as required. The piano so far described is of well knownconstruction and its operation is well understood in this art and neednot be set fort-h more in detail.

A rectangular frame' 16 is secured to b acket shelf 8 a-diacent spoolbox 9. This frame rotatably supports an upper drive shaft 17 and a lowercounter shaft 18 disposed coaxially with counter shaft 14 and, in fact.forming' a continuation theieof. Preferably, shaft 18 is connected toshaft 14 by a suitable connecting` device that these two shafts can bedisconnected if it becomes desirable' or necessary. though the shafts 18and 14 can be made in one piece. Shaft 17 is driven, by a worm drive 18,from a should be of uniform speed, this motor bemounted upon the bracketshelf 8.

The shafts 17 and 18 are provided with driving wheels mounted thereonand' connected by a belt, these wheels being constructed for radialexpansion and contraction. Each of the-wheels includes a pairof collars19 and 20, collar 19 being freely slidable on the shaft and collar 2Obeing secured the shaft. These collars are connected by supportingmembers or strips 21 of resilient material, these members being suitableelectric motor 19 whichV preferably in the form of leaf springs whichpossess appreciable strength and rigidity. In the form illustrated thereare four of these members and each is provided at itscentral portionwith a belt receiving member 22 of centavo-convex cross-section, thismember forming a segment of a pulley formed by contact with each otherof the members 22 when the driving wheel on either shaft is reducedtoits minimum diameter. A belt 23 passes about the members 22 of thei'espective driving wheel structures, establishing driving connectionbetween the shafts .17 and 18.

An adjusting yoke 24 is slidably mounted on the shafts 17 and 187 thelonger arm 25 of this yoke contacting with collar 19 slidable on shaft17, the shorter arm 26 contacting with the collar 19 slidable on shaft18. As will be noted more clearly from l" Vre 2, the collars 19 and 20on shaft 17 are oppositely related to the corresponding collars on shaft18, so that when the yoke is shifted in one direction one of the wheelswill be expanded radially and the other wheel contracted, and viceversa. This serves to vary the respective diameters of the wheelssimultaneously and at the same rate and in opposite relation. As therespective diameters of the wheels are oppositely varied, slightmovement of the yoke is sutlicient to produce a very decided change inthe speed of rotation of shaft 18 relative to shaft 15, giving veryaccurate control o-f the rate of rotation of spool 10 or of the rollchuck 11, as desired. Though a somewhat .i lar result could beaccomplished by other mechanism for giving this variable adjustment ofthe driving connections between the shafts, l prefer to employ theparticular type illustrated and described as this is instantaneouslyresponsive to any changes in position of the yoke 24 and is free ofrotating` parts which, due to inertia, would in any way interfere withthe immediate response of the driving connections tol adjustments of theyoke to effect speed variations.

The yoke 24 is shifted into desired positionfby means of the tempo lever27 (F igures l and secured to the shaft 28 rockably mounted on the underface of key bed 7. This shaft is provided with an arm 29 connected byrod 30 to arm 81 of a vertical shaft 82 r ckably mounted in suitablebeaiings at one end of the case. At its upper end shaft 32 is providedwith an arm 38 depending from the plate portion 24a lof yoke 211. Shaft32 is further provided with an arm 36 connected by a rod 37 to a sliderod 38 slidable in hearings 39 secured to the under face of bracketshelf 8. A pointer 40 is secured on the slide rod 38 and extends througha slot 8a in shelf 8, this pointer moving in front of a tempo indicatingdial (not shown). These connections between the tempo lever and theyparts associatedtherewith are, broadly, old and 'well known in 'thisart. The various arms 'of shaft 32V `and shaft 28 are so' proportionedth at the movement of lever v27 will impart but relatively smallmovement to yoke 24'and will impart the proper movement to slide rod v38to indicate the tempo. In Figure 2 the yoke is shown in centralposition,this being the position the `yoke occupies when the tempo lever27 isin the vertical position illust-rated in Figure 14. With the yokein this position the effective diameters of the driving wheels on shafts17 and 18 are equal. When the leve-r is moved tothe left, as consideredin Figure 4, the yoke 24 is moved siinilarlyand 'acts to shift collar 19on shaft 17 so as toeXpand the wheel on this shaft, collar 19 on shaft18 Ibeing simultaneously shifted orslid along its shaft so as tocorrespondingly decrease the effective diameter of the driving wheel onthis shaft. This results'iuincreasing the speed of rotation of shaft 18relative tov the speed of rotation of f' shaft 17.` The extent ofincrease thus produced will depend upon the extent towhich the yoke 24is shifted to the left. Ifhthe lever 27 be rocked in the otherrdirection beyond central position, the speed ofv rotation of the'shaft18 will be reduced relative to shaft 17. As the effective diameters ofthe driving wheels on the shafts are varied instantan'eouslywith theshifting ofthe yoke 24, this gives a `very quick and accurate coni trolof thet-empo. This arrangement also gives a very wide Vvariation inthespeed'of shaft 18, whichis frequently verydesirable for the properrendition ofinusical selections. i

1t is desirable that means be provided to assure that the belt 23 willat all times have .proper frictional contact with the dri-fing e wheelsfor establishinguniform'driving connection therebetween andavoidingslippage. This resultmay be obtained by employing' a beltpossessing appreciable elasticity orhy maintaining a nonelastiobelt tautsuitablebelt tightener.` I have illustrated the latter methoddiagranima'tically infF-ig.

Ajn idler pulley vis rotatably mounted at thel upper end of an arm252)pivote-d at its lower end 25o, on a support-2id vfor swinging movement.This arni vis urged toward the belt'by a light tension spring 25e. .yIdler pulley 25a presses against one run of the belt and acts in a.known ir nner to upv any slack inthe belt maintaining itat theproperensure maximum drivuegree of tautnoss to ing eiiiciency.

Shiftlever l5 extends through a slot 8h through bracket shelf 8 and'jisprovided its Vlowerend `with-an elongated head 1-1 which is Y slottedlongitudinally'` 'lier Areceptionof al finger 42 formed' at the-innerend of a 'communication therewith.

A'wardly,awayfrom.button as to pe slieet'ontothe spool 10 off ofi-rollr12. lVheii this lever is rocked'in the other direction shift lever 15 isthrown into position to rewind the roll, as is well known. Rod 43 isconnected to ylow-Lr 15 b a tension s )rino 51.

This spring permits movement of lei/'er 50 beyond ie-windilig),Lposition.

A double acting switch 53 of known typiv is mounted upon one of theequalizer bellows 3a of the unit 2. This switch is con-y nected in thecircuit of nthe electric motor and includes push buttons 54 and 55 forclosing and opening Vthe motor eircuit,"respec,

tively. An angle `finger 56-is secured onthe movable leaf of a pneumatic57 which is mounted on equalizer' bellows 3a and is in Abutton'operating finger 58 is pivoted on the bellows throatfat one endat 59 and is rconnected at its other end by a rod 60 to an-arm 61 se,-

cured to shaft 49. `Normally the shift lever 15 is `in 'neutral positionand the yoke 24 is in central position, the levers and 27 being 'in thepositions illustrated in'Figure 4. In

starting toplay, assuming thatfthe button of switch 53 has been pressedand the circuitrof the motor openedpthe pedals/1 are first operateduntilthe proper operatingiten- 1 lsion is producedfin the action system.This.

serves to'collapse the rpneumatic sulliciently to depress button 54,bymeans of bracket 56p,l closing the switch and starting the motor.Lever v50 is then moved to the left.

Vshifting lever 15 into windingposition, Aand thespeed' of travel of themusic sheetis'controlled by lever 27. When the selectionfhasbeenplayedlever 50 Yisnioved in a clockwiseA 'direction' into re-windingposition. andthe lever 27is moved in a counter clockwise direction intoits extreme position in this direction so as to rotate counter shaft 18'at high speed, rotating the roll chuck 11 and consequently roll 12,at-high speed. 'lorrewinding the musicl sheet thereon. During i thisre-'-;vincling of the music sheet the pedals 4 are 'not operated so thatthe vacuum not maintained in the action. system. 4This -per- Vmits thepneumatic57 to be Vexpanded by itsl associatedspring, moving the fingerA56 upof raisingof ,thisbuttonfv As Vsoioniasthe music sheet i hask.been Acompletely re-wound lever 50 is movedinto'it's extreme positionin a clockwise direction causing thefinger Ni th thi.,

58 to depress button 55S, opening the switch, and stopping the motor.

In Figures 7 to 13, inclusive, I have illustrated a modified form of myinvention in which the shift .lever l5 associav d parts are omitted, there-winding of the music sheet being accomplished by reversing til-edirection of the motor cui and coi euently *l directieL of dri or theniet.

obiect in view I provide-a reir ing switch 62 of known type which isconnected the noter circuit. switch G2 is provided with push buttons G3and (El for play and re-vroll, respectively. A second Th is switch G5 ofknown type is connected in in the motor circuit and is provided withswitch buttons 66 and (3.7 for and opening the motor circuit, respect-ivliv. Two pairs of arms G8 l g ano` G9 secured to shaft 49 ofthe re-rolllever 550. Each arm is provided with a cam element 70 at its outer end,these cam elemen s being disposed for moving the switch butt is inw'1rdly into operative position. Iteferrl Figures 8 and 9, it will he notedthat the arms are spaced apart somewhat further than the arms 69 so thatthe cams 70 of the pair of arms lead the cam elements of the second pairof arms. In starting to play, the lever 50 is moved in a counterclockwise direction into full playing position. This movement of thelever serves to move button 63 of switch G2 inwardly so as to rotate themotor shaft in playing direction, aft-er which button G6 of switch 65 ismoved inwardly to close the motor circuit. hen the selection has beenplayed the lever 50 is moved in a clockwise direction into re-windingposition at which time button 6e of switch. 52 moved inwardly reversingthe direction of drive of the motor. When the music sheet has beencompletely re-wound lever 50 is turned into its extreme position inclockwise direction, moving the button G7 of switch 65 inwardly andopening` the motor circuit.

When the reversing switch arrangement is used, the drive pinion and there-roll sprocket are mounted upon the counter shaft 14 in such mannerthat the pinion is driven by the shaft only when the motor is operatedin winding or playing direction, the sprocket rotating with the shaftonly when the motor is driven in re-winding direction. Obviously thereare numerous ways in which this can be accomplished, such as suitableratchet and pawl devices, or clutch devices, and it is not thoughtnecessary to illustrate or describe this feature in detail.

lVhat I claim is l. In a player piano having an action and exhaustingmeans therefor, a motor independent of the action exhausting means, andmechanical driving connections between said motor and the spool and theroll chuck of the piano.

2. In a player piano having an action and exhausting means therefor, amotor independent of the action exhaust-ing means, and variable speedmechanical driving connections hetween said motor and the spool and theroll chuck.

3. In a player piano having an action and exhausting means therefor',drive shaft Larven independently of the action exhausting means, acounter shaft having driving connection with 'the spool and the rollchuck, and variable speed driving connections between the shafts.

In a player piano having an act-ion and exhausting means therefor, anelectric motor,-a drive shaft driven from said motor, a counter shafthaving driving connection with the spool and the roll chuck, andvariahle speed driving connections between the shafts.

5. In a player piano having an action and exhausting means therefor, adrive shaft driven independently of the action exhausting means, acounter shaft having driving connection with the spool and the rollchuck, and variable speed mechanical driving connections between theshafts.

6. In a player' piano having an action and exhausting means therefor, anelectric motor, a drive shaft driven from said. motor, a counter shafthaving driving connection with the spool and the roll chuck, and vari.-ablc speed mechanical driving connections between the shafts.

7. In a player piano having pedal operated action exhausting means, amotor independent of the exhausting means, and mechanical drivingconnections between said motor and the spool. and the roll chuck.

8. In a playerl piano having pedal operated action exhausting means, amotor independent of the exhausting means, and variable speed mechanicaldriving connections between said motor and the spool and the roll chuck.v

9. In a player piano having pedal operated action exhausting means, amotor independent of the exhausting means, a counter shaft havingdriving connection with the spoolV and the roll chuck, a drive shaftdriven from said motor, and variable speed driving connections betweenthe shafts.

10. In a pla-yer piano having pedal operated action exhausting means, amotor independent of the exhausting means, a counter shaft havingdriving connection with the spool and the roll chuck, a drive shaftdriven from said motor, and variable speed mechanical drivingconnections between the shafts.

11. In a player piano having pedal operated action exhausting means, anelectric motor, variable speed driving connections between the motor andthe spool and the roll chuck, and control means for adjusting said Vsodriving connections and for closing and opening the motor circuit.v

12. In a player .piano having pedal operated action exhausting means,anl electric motor, variable speed and reversible driving connectionsbetween the motor and the spool and the roll chuck, means for adjustingsaid driving connections, and `a single control means for closing themotor circuit-and reversing the drive, said control means acting' tooperatively connect the motor to the roll chuck when moved into oneextreme position f and to open the motor circuitupon continued movementbeyond drive reversing position.

V13. In a player piano, an electric motor, a-

drive shaft driven by said motor, a counter shaft, variable speeddriving connections between 'said shafts., the forward drive pinion andthe re-roll; sprocket being mounted on' the counter-shaft, meansforadjusting said driving connections, manual control means for movingthe shift lever into spool driving position as the control means -ismoved into its extreme position in one direction, said control meansmoving the shift lever into roll chuck driving position and minimum, themotor circuit being normallyl open through said supplemental controlmeans.

14.-. In a player piano, an electric motor, variable speed drivingconnections between the motor and the spool and theroll chuck, saidconnections including the shift lever, a Vcontrol lever, operatingconnections between said control lever and the shift lever for lmovingthe latter into either of its operative positions, said operatingconnections including yielding means permitting continued movement ofthe control lever after the shift lever has been moved thereby into fullre-rolled position, a control switch in the motor circuit, meansactuated by .the control lever for opening said switch asvsaid controllever ismoved in one direction beyond re-roll position, and meansactuated by the tension in the action exhaust unit for closing saidcontrol switch when the ten` cuit being normally open, and meansactuatedby the air` tension in the action exhaust system for closing themotor circuit when said tension reaches a predetermined minimum. i Y

17. In a player piano, an electric motor, driving connections betweenthe motor and the spool and the roll chuck, the motor circuit beingnormally open,and means in communication with the action exhaust systemVand actuated by the air tension therein for closing the motor circuitwhen said tension reaches a predetermined minimum.

18. In aplayer piano, an electric motor,

driving connections between the motor and the spool and the roll chuck,a motor control lever, and means controlling the motor circuit andactuated by said lever when moved into one operative position forclosing said circuitand driving the motor in music sheet unwindingdirection, said controlling means also including means actuated by thelever when moved into its other operative position for reversing thedirection of drive of the Vmotor and subsequently opening the motorcircuit.

19'. In a player piano, an electric motor, driving connections betweenthe motor and the spool and the roll chuck, a motor` control lever, anoperating switch in the motor circuit, areversing switch in the motorcircuit, means for closing the reversing switch in Aone direction andsubsequently closing the operating switch as the control lever is` movedinto one operative position, and means for closing the reversing switchin the other direction and subsequently open-A ing the operating switchby continued movement ofk the control lever into its other operativeposition.

20. In a player piano, a drive shaft, a counter shaft i having drivingconnection with the spool and the roll chuck, driving wheels on theshafts, .a belt establishing driving connection between .the wheels, andmeansfor varying the speed at which the counter shaft is driven throughthe wheels and belt while maintaining constantthe relation between thebelt and the wheels.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my nainethis 22nd day ofJanuary, 1927. A ARTHUR I-I. BOETTCHER.

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